The Painted Shell

Penned a soliloquy I had today with myself...

In the noise of all I tried to be,

I lost the simple shade of me.

I traded silence for the crowd,

And spoke in voices far too loudly.

Where have I gone beneath the weight,

Of yesterday and future state?

I look into the polished glass,

And watch a passing shadow pass.

I wore the expectations well,

A painted shell where dreams could dwell.

I smiled to keep the peace outside,

While something quiet slowly died.

Where is the child who knew no doubt?

Who knew what joy was all about?

Who didn't measure worth in praise,

Or count the hours of quiet days?

Yet somewhere deep beneath the dust,

Beyond the fear, beyond the rust,

A tiny spark begins to gleam—

A waking eye inside a dream.

I have not vanished, only slept,

Behind the secrets that I kept.

I am still here, beneath the disguise,

Waiting to open my own eyes.

Whispers of Jasmine

Tiny stars in shades of white,

Blooming softly with the night.

Fragrant whispers fill the air,

A gentle beauty, pure and rare.

Woven into braids and dreams,

Glowing under moonlit beams.

Though delicate, they quietly stay,

Spreading sweetness on their way.

Like jasmine flowers, may we learn

To softly glow, not fiercely burn.

To share our grace, our love, our light,

And make the world a little bright.

Second Bloom

I had folded my heart away,  
tucked it in silence,
as one tucks a fragile letter
into the back of a drawer.

I told myself,
Love had had its turn.

that the music was over,

that the dance was done.

But then you appeared,

not with thunder,

not with the rush of storms,

but with the quiet certainty

of morning light.

You did not ask me to forget

the shadows I carried.

You simply stood beside them

until they no longer frightened me.

Your laughter stirred something

I thought I had long since turned to stone.

Your touch did not demand.

It invited.

And in that invitation,

I felt my walls soften,

brick by brick,

until even the ruins of old love

looked like the foundation

for something new.

This second chance is not a return

to what was lost,

but a tender beginning,

a softer unfolding,

the kind that grows from patience

and the courage to believe again.

To love you now

is not to erase the past,

but to honour it.

To know what pain taught me,

yet still choose your hand in mine.

And if the heart is a garden,

then you are the bloom

I never thought I would rise again.

So, let the world say love is fickle.

It only knocks once.

I know better.

For here you are,

and here I am,

ready to begin,

not as if it were the first time!

Where Shadows Hold the Heart

 

You tell me you love me,

yet your eyes look past my face,

searching for someone

who lives only in the silence of memory.

Your arms are warm,

but your heart is an echo chamber,

still ringing with the laughter

of a love long gone.

I stand here, alive,

offering touch, offering today,

but you kneel at the altar of yesterday,

faithful to shadows I cannot chase away.

Is it love,

if your vows belong to a ghost?

Or am I only a visitor

at the graveside of your longing?

You say the words,

but I hear the distance,

a man chained to remembrance,

too loyal to the past to walk into the present.

And I,

left holding the ache of almost,

learn that sometimes love

is not enough

to resurrect the living from the dead.

I Am My Own

You are not made of mirrors,

Nor echoes that fade with the crowd.

Your worth is not a whisper,

It does not shrink or shout aloud.

Not in the praise that lifts you,

Nor in the silence that forgets,

Your value isn't borrowed,

It isn’t weighed by one regret.

You are the breath behind the name,

The stillness when the world moves fast,

The ember glowing in the flame,

The roots that hold when storms have passed.

You don’t have to earn your place.

You are enough in still and strife,

A quiet force, a steady grace,

A soul that sings its own true life.

So, stand without apology,

Don’t bend to fit what others see.

Self-worth grows when we believe:

I am my own, and I am free.

Raised with Love

No need for thunder in my voice, 
No iron grip, no fearsome stare—
I choose a gentler, kinder choice, 
To meet your tears with patient care.

I will not rule with clenched command,

Nor strike the soil where trust might grow;

Instead, I’ll guide your little hand,

And walk beside you, soft and slow.

You are not clay to break or bend,

Not storm to tame, nor fire to quell—

You are becoming, my small friend,

And I am here to help you well.

When anger flares or sadness calls,

I’ll kneel and listen, not control—

For in the cracks of tantrum-ed walls,

I see the shape of your whole soul.

I will not shame your tender cries,

Or mock the dreams you try to build—

Your worth does not in silence lie,

But in a voice that feels fulfilled.

So grow, my child, in sun and shade,

In laughter loud and questions deep—

This love, though gentle, will not fade,

Its roots are in promises we keep.

Ready to Burst

I carry silence like a stone,

A weight that’s grown beneath my skin,

Where voices echo, all my own,

And battles rage but stay within.

My chest, a dam of unshed cries,

Of rage and longing tightly sealed,

Each heartbeat pounds like warning signs,

Of truths I’ve never dared revealed.

My lips know well the art of calm,

But tremble with the things unsaid—

A scream dressed up in quiet psalms,

A wildfire cloaked in words I’ve bled.

Tears wait like thunder in my throat,

Too proud to fall, too fierce to drown,

Yet storms don’t ask, they only float—

And strike when no one’s looking down.

How long can one soul cage a flood?

How long can sparks remain inert?

I feel the rupture in my blood—

These pent-up truths are ready to burst.

So if I break, or if I burn,

Don’t call it madness or disgrace—

Even the stars must twist and turn

Before they shine and split through space.

Echoes of stardust

Born of fire, forged in light,  

Drifting through the endless night.  

Ancient stars that lived and died  

Left their dust where we reside.  

Golden embers, silver streams,  

Flow within our souls and dreams.  

The iron in our blood once burned  

In cosmic hearts that spun and turned.  

Galaxies whisper through our veins,  

A trace of moons, a touch of rain.  

The breath we take, the steps we tread,  

Were once a star’s last words unsaid.  

So, when you gaze at skies so wide,  

Feel the universe inside.  

For in your heart, the cosmos glows—  

A spark of dust that never goes.  

Sighs of an inner child

 

In the caverns of the heart, where shadows dance,

Lies the echo of a past, a wounded trance.

Inner childhood wounds, silent and deep,

Whispers of pain that time failed to sweep.

 

Tiny footsteps in a world unkind,

Innocence shattered, left far behind.

A playground of memories stained with tears,

Where the passage of time magnifies fears.

 

The playground echoes with laughter and cries,

Yet, within, a wounded child silently sighs.

Scars unseen, etched on the soul,

Tales of a past that took its toll.

 

A tender spirit, once pure and free,

Now bears the weight of what used to be.

Broken dreams and shattered trust,

In the gallery of memories, they combust.

 

But within the darkness, a flicker remains,

A resilient spirit that still sustains.

For healing begins when we turn within,

Face the wounds, let the mending begin.

 

Embrace the child who longs to be heard,

Speak to the pain with a gentle word.

In the garden of self, sow seeds of grace,

Let love and acceptance find their place.

 

With each sunrise, a chance to renew,

To heal the wounds, to start anew.

For the inner child seeks a gentle hand,

To guide them home, to understand.

 

So, let compassion be the balm we wield,

To heal the wounds that time concealed.

In the tapestry of life, where shadows loom,

Find solace and strength in the inner child's room.

Pic courtesy: Fireflies Unplugged

Hum jaisa pyaar

Koi hum se hum jaisa pyaar kare

Na koi gila, na koi shikwa kare,

Ae dost, koi hum se hum jaisa pyaar kare!

Truant Thy Love

 She looked for it everywhere.

A mirage appeared wherever she went.

Each lane, each corner had love stamped on it.

“Where art thou, love”, she wondered.

But love played truant.

Love’s many forms, she was unable to see.

There was only one for her: 

her lost love.

Love played games with her,

Cupid was no less.

Both truant!

Tired, she stopped walking,

Sitting under a tree, she spots a mirror. 

An image she did not recognize:

worn-out clothes, disheveled hair, dark circles under her eyes,

cracked toenails, chipped fingernails.

Unrecognizable, she was distraught.

Who am I? Where did I come from?

Questions haunted her like a tyrant spirit.

She got up, walked on.

A tiny path to a house, a cobblestone road,

A small brook, birds chirping in the woods,

Familiar smells of a time gone by,

Memories enveloped her in a warm embrace.

An old photograph, a diary, few clothes, cluttered stationery,

Bits of paper, yellowing books, old letters, doodles and scribbles,

Remnants of her past in a box.

Crouched on her haunches, 

Aroma from an opened box filled her senses.

She turned the pages of her diary,

Each word spoke to her,

Told tales of the yore.

Grainy photographs had tons to tell,

Familiar old faces, moments captured random, 

Tingling sensations of butterflies in her tummy,

Memories of an old crush, first love lingered.

With a teardrop glistening in her eyes, she smiled!

Unbound tears

How easy would it be, she thought? A device where you just press a button and vanish. No sweat. No blood. No tears. Just vanish, she thought! 

Her mere existence to all, such an inconvenience after all! 

If only it were easy to end life and move on to the next, and the next, and the next. Guaranteed "no toxicity". Guaranteed "loads of peace". Guaranteed  "forever sleep". Guaranteed "forever happiness". Just open the gates, press the button and "pooooof"! 

If it were my choice, I would have made this device loooooong ago! 

I just wanted to vanish somewhere - where my traces wouldn't be traced, where I could be ME, where I did not have to be someone else. where I could just swim in a limitless ocean and not look back, where I would find a soulmate who would have me for what I am. 

Flowing unbound tears down the cheeks, 
Drenched by a flooded river!

Musings of a Lover

Time stands still for some,
Frames freeze over,
Moments flood for some,

Hearts warm up, 

The thudding goes faster.
Old memories bounce in full force,
Soul gets drenched in the memory storm.

Emotions overwhelm the soul.
Tears flow down unabated, 

The heart is in standby mode.

Thumping heartbeats remind of the past, 
A face flashes past the eyes.

The first time we met, 
The first time we touched,
The first time we kissed,
The first time we walked hand in hand.
Sweet nothings we whispered,
Secret smiles shared!

Ah! Those memories drench me in sweat.

Sweaty palms seeing the one you love,
Separated by timelines, borders,
Secretly wishing those times back.

Times move on, moments and us too.

Never say never, told my friend!

Let love knock on your door once more!

The Vanishing button

How easy would it be, she thought? A device where you just press a button and vanish. 

No sweat. 

No blood. 

No tears. 

Just vanish, she thought! 

Her mere existence to all, such an inconvenience after all! 

If only it were easy to end life and move on to the next, and the next, and the next.

Guaranteed "no toxicity".     

Guaranteed "loads of peace". 

Guaranteed "forever sleep". 

Guaranteed "forever happiness". 

Just open the gates, press the button and "pooooof"! 

If it were her choice, she would have made this device long ago! 

All she wanted was to vanish somewhere - where her traces wouldn't be traced, where she could be herself, where she did not have to be someone else. where she could just swim in a limitless ocean and not look back, where she would find a soulmate who would have her for what she is. 

Flowing unbound tears down the cheeks, 
Drenched by a flooded river,

She sank inside forever!

Kuchh ankahe raaz

 

Dil ke alfaaz

 

Saaya

Tooti-footi khwahishein

Dedicated to all the broken souls whose dreams died a premature death.

आज वो गहरी निद्रा में समा गई,

कभी ना उठे, ऐसी निद्रा में चली गई।

अंगिनत सपने उसके भी,

ख़ूबसूरत थे, रंगीन थे।

फिर से दफन हुए उसके सपने, उसकी वो मासूम ख्वाहिशें!

खो गई वो खामोशियों में,

अंधेरी गुफ़ाओं के कोने में सिमट चुकी थी।

रोशनी से कतराती थी,

खिड़की से सिर्फ अँधेरा ही नज़र आता है।

पानी की बूंदें टपकी एक-एक कर,

गहनों में समाति गई वो,

डूब रही थी धीरे-धीरे,

शरीर शांत हुआ, सांसें रुक गईं,

आख़िर वो निद्रा में खो ही गई।

दब गयी ख्वाहिशें, दब गयी आवाज़,

चीखती रही, चिल्लाती रही वो,

खामोशियों में खो गई वो.

आज फिर एक लड़की, एक माँ की मौत हुई!

Ishq ki Dor

रिश्ते यूं ही बन जाते हैं पल में,

हर पल में हैं लम्हे बांटते।

लम्हों के ताने बाने में है उलझे,

इश्क के वो धागे.

तानो बानो में उलझे वो,

रिश्तों के वो नाज़ुक धागे.

इश्क ने बांधी ऐसी डोरी,

जो कभी ना टूटी, कभी ना बिखरी!

Boondein...aur kuchh baarish

बूंदें टपकी आसमान से,

आंखें बंद की, तो दिल में बस गई।

दिल की धड़कनें बढ़िया,

ये तो सिर्फ बूंदें थी,

aऔर क्या!

बून्दों ने कुछ कहा दिल से।

धड़कने फिर हुई तेज़,

उसकी याद आयी.

वो चेहरा सामने आया.

यादों ने फिर से स्लाइड शो शुरू किया,

आसमान बना प्रोजेक्टर.

तसवीरें आई कुछ,

वीडियो प्ले हुए कुछ,

दिल झूम उठा फिर से मेरा.

हवाओं का असर कहो हां,

कुछ मीठी यादें,

कुछ दिल की गहरीयों से निकले।

कुछ वो समा भी प्यारा,

कुछ वो खुमारी थी.

दिल की मेहरबानियाँ थी मेरी,

और कुछ नादानियाँ मेरी!